The 2006 10th Anniversary, deirdre-fest

As almost anyone reading this knows, "deirdre" was the enigmatic queen of Usenet
sex stories in the mid-1990s. She posted 156 stories in just over two years,
using an anonymous remailer and apparently *never* corresponding with anyone.
She was last heard from in late April 1996. We will repost all 156 stories, with
comments by her, in alphabetical order, between now and the 10th anniversary of
her "retirement."

deirdre wasn’t like most sex-story writers, and this ‛difference’
set her apart. Read her stories to see what we mean (at the
alt.sex.stories.moderated newsgroup, but also in pre-existing archives set up by
PleaseCain and
Bitbard.

Many readers wondered openly what became of her, if she was still
“lurking” as she said she often did, if she had a new Net identity,
or if she had abandoned sex story-land completely. We cannot answer such
questions. What we can do is organize a festival in her honor. We can repost her
stories, request new stories by interested writers, and solicit essays and
interviews.

We include three essays by writers who have their own ideas about deirdre,
and if you travel to the most recent Journal of Desire, Antheros
has a fourth
essay.

In the Journal of Desire
we offer interviews with two prominent sex-stories editors. These interviews are
not about deirdre, but about the larger enterprise that she and all of us are
undertaking.

We also are happy to offer 36 stories (well — one of them is a poem) by
23 authors, written new or reposted specifically for the festival. We asked
authors to write stories in deirdre’s style, or deirdre-type stories in
their own style, spoofs, or anything their muses sent them. Some labeled their
stories by those categories. For the others — you get to guess the
category.

Here are the stories and essays, in alphabetical order by author. Read them
in good health.